Resources and background materials
This list of resources was compiled over the month of June 2020 when we focused our sessions on racism, Quakers and race, and white privilege.On Wednesday evenings we will hold meeting for worship beginning at 18.30 CET, followed by the SD session from 19.00 CET, finishing by 20.00 CET. If you would like to join us, please contact us so we can send you the link.
Some of the topics we have planned to cover are: Quaker history, deep diversity and white fragility, diversity in the Society of Friends, and privilege.
Every week at the end of our sessions, we will share actions and resources tied to these topics.
This is not an exhaustive list of topics, nor will we discuss a given topic solely on a particular week. These topics are given as a way to organize our exploration at this time.
White Privilege Test
Implicit Bias
How privileged are you?
Quaker History
Diversity and Whiteness
The Society of Friends and Race
Privilege
Slavery in the Quaker World by Katherine Gerbner in Friends Journal interview on the publication of her book Christian Slavery: Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018)
Video Webinar: Knowing ourselves: Undoing racism as spiritual practice from American Friends Service Committee 2018
“4 Things Quakers are learning about inclusion and diversity” by Chloe Scaling Britain YM
Understanding Racism and Privilege among Friends queries from Friends General Conference FGConnections 2002
Facing Power and Privilege – Epistle from BYM 2019
You’re not a Bad Person: How Facing Privilege Can be Liberating from Miki Kashtan, the Fearless Heart
To White People who Want to be one of the Good Ones by Maeve Higgins in the New York Times
America’s Enduring Caste System by Isabel Wilkerson in the New York Times magazine
There’s no such thing as a White ally by Catherine Pugh in medium.com
Actions – Working for Racial Justice
- “How to support Black Lives Matter even if you cannot attend the protests” by Sabrina Barr in the Independent
- 21 day Racial Equity Habit Challenge by Eddie Moore, Jr.
- European Network Against Racism ENAR
- Tools and How Tos from Robin D’Angelo
- Race Matters: How to talk about Race from the Annie E. Casey Foundation‘s Race Matters Toolkit.
- When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs, Tre Johnson in the Washington Post
Additional Readings, Quotes, and Queries
- “Wealth is attended with power by which bargains and proceedings contrary to universal righteousness are supported and here, oppression carried on with worldly policy and order, clothes itself with the name of justice and becomes like a seed of discord in the soul and as a spirit which wanders from the pure habitation prevails so the seeds of war swell and sprout and grow and become strong until much fruit is ripened… Oh that we who declare against wars and acknowledge our trust to be in God only may walk in the light and therein examine our foundation and motives in holding great estates May we look upon our treasures and the furniture of our houses and the garments in which we array ourselves and try whether the seeds of war have nourishment in these our possessions or not.” – John Woolman.
- Do you search out whatever in your own way of life may contain the seeds of war? Do you stand firm in our testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God? Do you bring into God’s light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in yourself which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging your need for forgiveness and grace? – Quaker Faith & Practice, UK
- “Why Black Lives Matter is a Global Issue” by Dean Bowen in globalcitizen.org
- Race and Policing in England and Wales by Runnymede Foundation
- Contemplations on Race with Richard Rohr